Foldable hasp-locking seal



April 18, 1961 w. M. BROOKS 2,980,461

FOLDABLE, .usp-LOCKING SEAL Filed March 3. 1960 20 ZZ Z4 3o J2 40 United Zkl Patented Apr. 18, 1961 dine FOLDABLE 'HASP-LOCKING SEAL Winfred M. Brooks, West Orange, NJ., assigner to E. J.

Brooks Company, Newark, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey This inventionrelates toa locking and sealing device for application to a hasp eye for holding the latter in locked and sealed association with a4 related hasp plate.

An important object of the invention is the provision of such a device which can be economically produced.

Another important object is the provision of such a device which may not be removed from its locking and sealing association with a hasp assembly and then re-uscd.

Another important object is the provision of such a device which is small and light in weight and which may be very easily and quickly applied to a hasp assembly in locking and sealing relation thereto.

The foregoing and other obvious objects and advantages are achieved by the present invention, of which a single preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawing for illustrative purposes; without, however, limiting the invention to the particular disclosed embodiment.

In the drawing:

Figure 1y is an elevational view of the device in lockingsealing association with a hasp assembly on a strap employed to close the neck of a bag of which only the upper portion is shown.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of said device together with the strap and hasp assembly, and including a sectional view of the bag substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; said device, strap and hasp assembly appearing i as viewed from said line. Eig. 3 is an elevational view of the inner faces of the locking-sealing device; the latter appearing in open condition in which it is delivered by the manufacturer Ithereof to the user. n A Fig. 4 is a side-edge view of the device in said open condition. z`

Fig. 5 is a side-edge view of the device in closed, but still unseale'd, condition. l

Fig. 6 is a side-edge view of the device in its closed and sealed condition.

Fig. 7 is' atop elevational view of the device in its closed, but still unsealed, condition'which corresponds to the condition thereof illustrated in Fig. 5. v Fig. 8 is a central, longitudinal, sectional view, substantially on the line 8 3 of Fig. 7, of the device in its closed, but still unsealed, condition corresponding to its condition as shown inFigs. 5 and 7. v

Fig. 9 is'a central, longitudinal, sectional view'at the same-plane as the view of Fig. 8, but showing Vthe device in its `closed and :sealed condition corresponding to the condition thereof illustrated in Figs. 1 and 6; this figure also showing adjacent parts ofV a related hasp assembly.

The locking-sealing device showny in the drawingVv is preferably formed, by suitable metal-working operations, from sheet :metal of such stiffness and bending and breaking characteristics as willenable the device to function as hereinafter described.l These` characteristics are quite well known to` those familiar with the .use of sheet metal v for various purposes, andgveven to Vthose not so well versed, the characteristics of the metal'suitable for use the semi-cylindrical portions ZZand 24 of the 'twoglocking' V 34 which extendsA transverselyA ofthe metal strip withpits in practicing the present invention may easily be determined with little or no experimentation.

The device, formed from a strip of suitable sheet metal, comprises an end locking section 10 at one end of the strip, an intermediate locking sectiony 12 at an intermediate portion of the strip and adjoining section 10 in bendable relation thereto, and a sealing flap 14 at the other end of the strip and adjoining section 12 in bendable relation thereto. 'l

' The end locking section 10, in its form las illustrated in the drawing, comprises-a-substantially flat portion 16, the free end edge of which is recessed as at 18, thereby forming similar end ears 20 at opposite corners of said free end edge. Substantially rigidly adjoining the at portion 16, oppositely from the recess 18, is an arcuate, almost semi-cylindrical portion 22, which portion and another hereinafter-mentioned Vsimilar portion will, for convenience, be referred to hereinafter as semi-cylindrical portions. Optionally, the portion 22 may be somewhat narrower than the at portion 16.

The intermediate locking section 12 is very similar to the end locking section 10 and includes a semi-cylindrical portion 24, bendably adjoining semi-cylindrical portion 22, and a hat portion 26 substantially rigidly adjoining the portion 24. The dimension of the tlat portion 26 longitudinally of the strip is substantially the same as the longitudinal dimension of the at portion 16 if the klatteris considered without the end ears 20; and, in the device as illustrated, the curvature of the portions 22 and 24 n such that, when the sections 10 and 12 are bent toward each other from the condition of the device as illustrated in Fig. 4 to its Fig. 5 condition, the at portions 16 and 26 will come into intimate face-to-face association as shown in the latter igure.

An important feature of this invention is the provision, in the dat portions 16 and 26, of interacting detents 28 and 30 which protrude oppositely and inwardly of the related flat portions of the -two locking sections, and each partially defines an adjacent, approximately semi-circular aperture 28a-and 30a in the lflat portions of the locking sections. g

The apertures 28a and 30a are formed by cutting away approximately semi-circular portions of the metal of the flat portions 16 and 26, and the detents 28 and 30 are formedby'deforming inwardly, approximately semi-circular areas of metal which adjoin the apertures 28a, 30a; and each of said detents is substantially complemental to its adjoining aperture to define therewith a substantially circular area in its related flat section 16 or 26. Thus, each of the detents has an edge, which edges are indicated as 28e and 30e, extending transvcrselyof the strip. The edge 28e faces toward semi-cylindrical portion 22and the edge 30e faces toward the sealing flap 14. The detents and apertures are so located in their respective locking sections that, when those two sections are brought together as in Fig. 5, the detent 28 will nest into 'aperture 31M and the detent 30 will nest intoaperture 28a.

The sealing ilap 14-is preferably rectangular (substantially square as illustrated) and is integrally connected to intermediate locking section 12 by a neck portion 32 which is somewhat narrower than the width of recess 18, and, when the device is closed but not sealed, as in Fig. 5, Vthe neck portion 32 registers withsaid recess.

Lines of weakness are provided in the device to facilitate bending at certain points where bending is necessary in the closing' and sealing of the device, "and at one point in the devicean aperture may advantageously` be provided for asimilar purpose'. Thus, at the juncture 'of sections, theideviceis formed with an elongateaperture ends, however, terminating short of the side edges of Fig. 6.

said strip.V Aliso, at the same juncture, a line oi' weakness 36, Yin'line with and interruptedjby the aperture 34, is formed preferably to extend Completely from opposite endspof thevaperture 34 to corresponding, opposite side edges of the metal strip.

Lines of weakness 38 and 10 are preferably Yformed Y transversely and completelyv across the inner faceofrthe Vneckportion 32'. The line of weakness 36, Ytogether with therewith are fixed to a neck portion'of the bag. For

that purpose, a hasp eye- 60 has clamping means as-V sociated with its legs 62, 64.for securing it to the bag. Such clamping means may comprise a iirst washer 66 on reduced portions 62r, 64r of the legs 62, 64 and lying against the outer face of the strap 50. The lreduced portions 62rV and 64r extend through the strap and through the aperture 34, `facilitatesfolding of the locking sections i intimately upon and in face-to-face association with Vthe'.V

flat portionY 16 of the locking'section 10, as shown, in

' Y When the 9, the-neck portion 32 seatsV within the recess 18 and Y thereby assures that the two locking sections 10 and 12` will be in transverse alignment, with the detents 28V and 3:0 respectively nesting properly in'theapertures 30a and 28a..V It may be observed,.also, that the fact of such nesting, as just mentioned, serves'additionally to hold the Y two locking sections 10 and 12 of the device against skewing Vandbecoming transversely disaligned when thel device is inuse. 'K l Y e The several lines of weakness 36, 38 and 40 have another andvery important Vpurpose in addition toV the already-mentioned purpose of facilitating bending. This .'additionalrpur'pose is to constitute-the device as a'seal., in theVV sense that, after-having been properly applied andV sealed to av hasp assembly, it vmay not berremoved from said assembly and re-applied thereto because the device will breakin one or more places.V `Thus, in opening the device, it is necessary to swing the sealing ap V14 back fromfits Fig. `6 position to a substantial extent toward its Fig. Yposition'irrorder to vpermit the two locking sections 10 and 12 to beswung apart to openpositions.V i

device is Vlocked and sealed as in Figs. 1, 6 and j the material ofthe bag 52; and on. said reduced portions, at the inner face of; Ythe bag,Y is a secondV washer 68 which is firmly and tightly held upon Vtherlegls of the hasp eye. byV spreading or riveting'of the endsY of the reduced portions 62rand 64)', so that 'the two washers Voperate to engage the strap Vand bag tightlyV therebetween. The

Y' hasp plate 54 is formed with an elongate` slot 70 through which the hasp eye 60 extends when the -hasp assembly is. closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. "The present lockingsealing device in its conditionv as shown in Fig. V4 is ink troduced endwis'ely through the eye :60 rvand between the latters crossmemberfticand' the strapA 50.afterrwhich the locking-sealing devicev is closed in the manner already explained. A'deviceV of its position underneath the sealing apr14. VSuch an eiort to open the device would not succeed'because of the fact that, even though the parts of the iat portions 16 and 26 leftwardly of the detents (as-viewed, f or example,

Vin Fig. `9) might Vbe bent Vapart to some extent while causing little or no bending of' the sealing iiap Y1li-away from I' the locking section l10, such bending would not suffice if' Moreover,

The described openingfof-thedevice Vinvolves "subf stantial bending at lines ofweakne'ss 36, 38 and 40, and such bending is in opposite 'directions to the bends given tothe device atthose linesof weakness when it was Vthen opened, it will break at one v'or more of thementioned three lines ofVV weakness.V Howeveneven if `suchY l breakage does not occurwhen the device` is. opened,it

.almost certainlypoccurs at one or morepofk said lines of vbending incidental to such attempted re-use,; in addition to -thebending which has Vpreviously taken'placeyvhenV originally applying and then opening 'the seal, 'is certain to destroy the abutting relationship ofthe Vdetents 28 and 30 and, therefore, would notV enable the deviceto be opened. 1j'. Y Y f Y if anv interloper 'attempted to fextend the bending of; the at portions 16 and ZGQaWa'y from each otherto al1-extent greater than just mentioned, the bending could-not proceed sto a suicient extentto disengage the two'detents unless thersealing ap 14w'ere bent very initially locked and `sealedLitisquitecertain thatY when 1 the device, after'having once been'closedfand sealed, 'is .50

could notbe v'accomplished except byalsubstantial unseal- Y i j weakness if an attemptis'made to re-us'e the device. YThe substantiallyA upwardly, because of the-fact that the bendii-igfgf the' lsealing ilap;l relatively to .theother partsof the device' andyoccurringV at'the neck portion 32, Voccurs so close to` the two'det'ents that disengagement rof the latter sheetmetal, maybe very easily. appliedV to ahasp assemtents: of a bag ori other containerA or receptaele uponwhich Y it' isapplied; *and vsu'chgsealsY commonly/are numbered J Yandm'u'st beaccounted-for and cannot easily be duplicated or otherwiseobtained.v j f' 7 .Y Y p The manner of usage of thefdiscloseddocking-sealing device witha hasp assembly mayre'asily beunderstood by fr reference toFigs. land 2, showing a strap 50,-encirclin'g 'raam-,paar bag Ys2, andprovidedfat ane? end withanasp i j plates,v 54 1 which is pivetally Yconnected 'to' vsaid strap 'end` j i by `a link-.5.6.7having'fan" aperturelhough wllichflieVVVV 1 strapSti-fis," troduced in forming-a s trap'loop ori shackle* section to aISealg-QOsIUd in whitv sectionsV in Vbly and, whiler they mayeasilylbe removed from r`such an assemblywhensuchV removal isi'de'sirred'and authorized nevertheless, removalbyjanijinterloperl may not be laccomplished without. breaking theY seal jand thereby f twoits'rally intercneoted, silhstantiiallyrisid .locking d sections, bendablerelatiyely to each Y other along `a first line of. Vweakness ib'etween open positions; in :which `said sections are A'substant,iai1yr -angularly separated 'and closed PQOStOnS in .which opposed;fewfadjectiri arein close face-tolface relationshigand -a sealing flap, yintegral- .1y adioining'affilst 011,6 of Seid 'loking sections aldus second linedofA weakness V'parallel to` sa weaknessland bendabl said fa -ta-facaraatiaasnip,

@er .easementssettle s n y the character disclosed herein very effec- Y tively opposes, attempts; byunauthorizedpersons to open y one of said locking sections sandwiched between said rst locking section and said sealing flap; each of said locking sections being provided with an aperture and being deformed, immediately adjacent to an edge of said aperture which edge extends in a direction generally parallel to said lines of weakness, to provide a detent which, on each of said sections, when the latter are in said faceto-face relationship, protrudes toward and in alignment with said aperture of the facing one of said sections with protruding edges ofthe two detents abuttingly overlapping each other to a substantial extent to prevent material shifting of said sections in one direction normal to said lines of weakness; the sheet metal at said sealing aps interconnection with said rst one of the locking sections constituting an abutment coacting with said second one of the locking sections to prevent relative shifting of the two locking sections in an opposite direction normal to said lines of weakness; and said detents being covered, at one side of the device, by said sealing ap, when the latter is in its said sealing position, to oppose tampering with said detents while the device is in sealed condition.

2. A device according to claim 1, said detents protruding toward the facing locking sections to such an extent and being in such close relationship to said second line of weakness that the two locking sections cannot be materially separated from each other without substantially` bending said sealing ap from its said sealing position and thereby so weakening the metal at said second line of weakness that the sealing ap would break away from the remainder of the device upon any attempt to remove and reuse the same device.

3. A device according to claim 1, said second one of the locking sections having integral ears which, when the device is closed and sealed, extend close to opposite sides of the device at said second line of weakness to prevent material shifting of :aid locking sections in either of opposite directions parallel to said lines of weakness.

4. A device according to claim 1, said apertures constituting weakening means which weaken said locking sections to induce bending of said sections thereat in the presence of tampering, thereby opposing separation of said detents.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,847,552 Brooks Mar. 1, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 535,908 Belgium Mar. 15, 1955 France Dec. 24, 1952 

